Author's Notes:
First, thanks for the feedback, everyone! I love it. Second, in response to some of your comments: Yes, I agree that the first few chapters were too short. I was going for a new chapter with each scene, but that's not long enough, so in future, I'll just use chapters for posting however much I've written lately, or if there's a major change in story direction. Also, Bryce/Lara? Hmmmm who knows? I've thought they would make a cute couple since the first film (glad I've found another B/L fan!), but I also like the Lara/Kurtis thing and ATM I don't even know if this will have any romance. I write good UST, but I'm not so good on the loveydoveyness! Basically, this story does not yet know where it's going. It will go where it will go. Finally, I'm mixing film and game canon. Lara's parents have disowned her as in the game, but Bryce and Hillary are there as in the film. Hope I don't confuse y'all. Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.
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Sitting in my office, my feet crossed at the ankles and resting on my desk, I stared out the window to my side and let out a long, dramatic sigh. I turned my attention to the papers on my desk topped by a sheet of paper entitled 'Procrastination'. It was a computer print out of a neatly formatted list of everything I needed to take care of.
Getting Kurtis a physiotherapist. Trying to rebuild the bridges I'd burned after Egypt, with a sublist of all the people whose bridges I had torched. Phoning the police station to check that there was no red tape to be sorted out after one had been wanted by a foreign police force for murder and then cleared. Helping Kurtis to check if his health insurance covered post surgery check-ups in England. Going through my post that had accumulated while I'd been away. And, there at the bottom of the list, in capital bold letters: GET LIFE SORTED OUT.
Yes, that was going to be a difficult one. What now? Carry on adventuring? Did I want to, or had that been a part of me that really had died in Egypt? Could I settle down into normality even if I wanted to? Was it a good idea to return to my old life anyway, with the effect it had already had on those close to me.
I sighed again, let my feet fall to the floor, and chose a nice easy one to get started on. Picking up the phone, I dialled the operator to ask for the number for the local hospital, hoping they'd help me with item 4: Get Kurtis a Physiotherapist.
"Lara, wake up! Wake UP! Go to work! GO TO WORK! You get fired and so help me..."
My hand stopped abruptly above Bryce's trailer door, halted by the very strange sentence I had just heard uttered from inside. Knitting my eyebrows slightly, I rapped twice. It opened a second later.
"Oh Lara. Come in." Bryce stepped back to allow me to enter.
"Bryce, who were you talking to?"
Bryce gestured for me to turn and look behind me. I did, my eyes resting on his computer monitor where a game of The Sims playing.
"Is that me?!" I stepped towards the screen and peered more closely.
"And Hillary, me and SIMON. Made the skin for SIMON myself. Like it?"
"Very nice," I replied, not quite knowing what to make of it all.
My sprite, obviously deciding that work was no fun, forced herself into a passionate clinch with Sim Bryce. I raised an eyebrow and looked at their creator.
"Ah well," he replied, looking sheepish, "They have minds of their own, obviously."
He leant forward and minimised the game, manoeuvring himself in front of the screen.
"Something you wanted?"
"In Paris, my aim was a bit rusty. I'd spent all that time working out my frustration on the assault course but I'd let my combat slip. Nearly got me killed. Could you train with me?"
"Yeah, anytime – SIMON and me, we're always up for it. Now?"
I nodded, and we set off for the mansion.
"Paris put you back into the mood then? Ready for action again?"
"Truthfully? I don't know," I replied, "But it's best to be ready for anything."
"You've still not told us what happened. And Kurtis, well, he's the strong silent type isn't he?"
I smirked, imagining the childlike Bryce trying to get the details out of Kurtis and failing miserably.
"Dinner. We'll tell you over dinner. When we're all there."
Reaching the mansion, we parted, Bryce heading to the training room to set up SIMON and I going upstairs to get changed.
On my way back down I passed the library, Kurtis just inside the doorway examining the books. Seeing my training clothes he said,
"Hey Lara, what ya doin'?"
"I decided it's time to get back in training. You can come and watch if you want."
"Ok."
We took the slow journey downstairs, Kurtis cursing his invalidity.
"So you're gonna head back out? Save the world some more?"
"I honestly don't know," I said, wondering if I would ever sort things out.
My new acquaintance's powers of uncanny perception came into play once again as he said,
"You'll get things straight."
We'd reached the bottom of the stairs, and I stood for a second, watching Kurtis as he hopped across the hallway. He must have been feeling as lost I was – I had slain my demons and he had got his revenge. We had both got to where we were going, and neither of us knew where we were headed to next. It was a terrifying thought, one I hadn't felt since my parents had disowned me and left me vulnerable to the world, and I had absolutely no idea how things were going to play out.